The BEST episodes of The O.C. season 2

Every episode of The O.C. season 2, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of The O.C. season 2!

The O.C. is an idyllic paradise, a wealthy, harbour-front community where everything and everyone appears to be perfect. But beneath the surface is a world of shifting loyalties and identities, of kids living secret lives hidden from their parents, and of parents living secret lives hidden from their children. Cohen, Cooper, Nichol families, and Ryan Atwood, a troubled teen from the wrong side of the tracks, who is thrust into this world, and who will forever change the lives of the residents of The O.C.

Last Updated: 11/22/2024Network: FOXStatus: Ended
The Dearly Beloved
star
8.51
364 votes

#1 - The Dearly Beloved

Season 2 - Episode 24 - Aired 5/19/2005

Familiar faces show up for a final farewell to Caleb. Meanwhile, Sandy takes action to help Kirsten. And when Ryan learns about the Trey-Marissa incident, a showdown - if not a tragedy - is inevitable.

Directors: Ian Toynton
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The O.Sea
star
8.19
258 votes

#2 - The O.Sea

Season 2 - Episode 23 - Aired 5/12/2005

Heads: Seth takes Summer to the prom. Tails: Zach does. Whoever's dateless takes a meeting with George Lucas to discuss Atomic County. That'll settle things, right? The Julie-Caleb union ends...not the way anyone expected.

Directors: Michael Lange
Writer: J.J. Philbin
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Rainy Day Women
star
8.19
364 votes

#3 - The Rainy Day Women

Season 2 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/24/2005

Rain - and it seems there are as many problems as raindrops. Kirsten, Sandy...and Rebecca. Julie, Marissa...and Alex. Lindsay, Ryan...and Chicago. Summer, Seth...and Italy. Can't rain forever, can it?

Directors: Michael Fresco
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Chrismukkah That Almost Wasn't
star
8.12
354 votes

#4 - The Chrismukkah That Almost Wasn't

Season 2 - Episode 6 - Aired 12/16/2004

Friends, festivities, 8 days of gifts, another day with a whole lot of gifts. Seth's formula for the perfect Chrismukkah may come undone when Caleb's confession rocks the Cohen world.

Directors: Tony Wharmby
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Power of Love
star
7.95
318 votes

#5 - The Power of Love

Season 2 - Episode 8 - Aired 1/13/2005

Sandy didn't forget his 20th anniversary. Honest. Just ask him. And just watch him squirm as he tries to make things right. Also, Seth and Ryan are grounded; DJ calls it quits with Marissa.

Directors: Michael Lange
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Distance
star
7.83
369 votes

#6 - The Distance

Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 11/4/2004

Come home, Seth! If Sandy can't persuade his alienated son to return to the family perhaps Ryan can. Meanwhile, Theresa realizers her relationship with Ryan is on life support. Time to pull the plug?

Directors: Ian Toynton
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Lonely Hearts Club
star
7.82
269 votes

#7 - The Lonely Hearts Club

Season 2 - Episode 12 - Aired 2/10/2005

Happy Valentine's Day! Seth's feelings for Summer destroy their comic-book pitch meeting, Ryan turns pool-table hustler in hopes of winning approval for his romance with Lindsay, and Kirsten distrusts Sandy.

Directors: Ian Toynton
Writer: J.J. Philbin
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Mallpisode
star
7.80
314 votes

#8 - The Mallpisode

Season 2 - Episode 15 - Aired 3/10/2005

The Seth/Summer plan to help Ryan shake his Lindsay blues is...a mall visit? Hey, it can work. Because Marissa comes along. And everyone gets locked inside the place. An extortionist targets Julie.

Directors: Ian Toynton
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Showdown
star
7.80
274 votes

#9 - The Showdown

Season 2 - Episode 22 - Aired 5/5/2005

Dynamite with a lit fuse: Kirsten goes on a bender now that Carter's gone, Ryan can't figure what's up with Marissa, Caleb hits Julie with divorce papers, and the Seth-Zach rivalry turns into War of the Weirds.

Directors: Michael Fresco
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Family Ties
star
7.77
343 votes

#10 - The Family Ties

Season 2 - Episode 7 - Aired 1/6/2005

Time to move on: Jimmy decides to relocate to Maui. Time to make a move: Ryan and Lindsay wonder about a first kiss. Time to bust a move: Seth turns bad boy in an attempt to impress Alex.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Second Chance
star
7.73
299 votes

#11 - The Second Chance

Season 2 - Episode 11 - Aired 2/3/2005

Try try again. A cardiac crisis gives Caleb a new outlook. Seth and Summer struggle to deny their attraction. And if, as Sandy says, Rebecca is dead, why does Kirsten find her in Sandy's office? Uh-oh.

Directors: Tony Wharmby
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The O.C. Confidential
star
7.69
242 votes

#12 - The O.C. Confidential

Season 2 - Episode 20 - Aired 4/21/2005

The evidence adds up. Trey is likely to do time for drug violations. But Sandy, Ryan and Marissa know he's innocent and develop a plan to catch the real culprit in the act. Seth meets a marketing...genius.

Directors: Tony Wharmby
Writer: Mike Kelley
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The SnO.C.
star
7.69
285 votes

#13 - The SnO.C.

Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 12/9/2004

The winter dance is near and a Ryan-Lindsay hook-up is off, on, off, on, off like a light switch. But all will be smoothed over by the time of the big Newport social event. Or not. Plus: Caleb's secret - revealed!

Directors: Ian Toynton
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Rager
star
7.69
213 votes

#14 - The Rager

Season 2 - Episode 19 - Aired 4/14/2005

Marissa throws a birthday party for Trey - an event that may or may not smooth things between the two Atwood brothers. Julie gets cozy with Lance, her long-ago lover and recent extortionist.

Directors: Tony Wharmby
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Way We Were
star
7.68
349 votes

#15 - The Way We Were

Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 11/11/2004

The boys are back. Every status is quo. Except: Summer won't kiss and make up, Ryan catches Marissa in a clinch, the DA busts Caleb, Hailey bails and the remodellers are like a wrecking crew. Home sweet chaos.

Directors: Michael Lange
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Ex-Factor
star
7.66
324 votes

#16 - The Ex-Factor

Season 2 - Episode 9 - Aired 1/20/2005

The ABC's of Love. When Alex wants to spend time with her ex, Seth says "X" must make room for "I" and "U." But there's something Seth doesn't know. Julie has a makeover idea for the Newport Group.

Directors: Michael Fresco
Writer: J.J. Philbin
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The New Era
star
7.63
311 votes

#17 - The New Era

Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 12/2/2004

It's not a date, it's a group hang. So Seth goes with Lindsay, but looks for Summer. Ryan goes with Alex, but would rather be with Lindsay. And Julie... well, stay tuned. That new CEO has a style of her own.

Directors: Michael Fresco
Writer: J.J. Philbin
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The New Kids on the Block
star
7.54
324 votes

#18 - The New Kids on the Block

Season 2 - Episode 3 - Aired 11/18/2004

Seth pulls off a magnanimous gesture for Summer, then blows it. Lindsay and Ryan become physics lab partners and share some romantic chemistry. Embattled Caleb names Julie as Newport Group's CE-uh-O.

Directors: Lev L. Spiro
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Accomplice
star
7.47
298 votes

#19 - The Accomplice

Season 2 - Episode 10 - Aired 1/27/2005

Ryan tries to smooth things over between Caleb and Lindsay, Alex and Marissa grow closer, Seth uses his life as inspiration for a comic book and Kirsten is uneasy when Sandy is asked to help find his ex-fiancee.

Directors: Ian Toynton
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Risky Business
star
7.45
253 votes

#20 - The Risky Business

Season 2 - Episode 18 - Aired 4/7/2005

A yard sale sans yard - aka The Oc Charity Yard Sale! But it does offer many items, including the crystal egg from Risky Business. But wait...the egg is missing, and Ryan and Seth must scramble to get it back!

Directors: Norman Buckley
Writer: Cory Martin
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Blaze of Glory
star
7.44
318 votes

#21 - The Blaze of Glory

Season 2 - Episode 16 - Aired 3/17/2005

$500,000 is still the going rate to keep Julie's porn past off the net. Meanwhile, Seth plays matchmaker, suggesting that Ryan help Marissa plan the school's spring bonfire. Someone's gonna get burned.

Writer: Mike Kelley
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Father Knows Best
star
7.43
275 votes

#22 - The Father Knows Best

Season 2 - Episode 13 - Aired 2/17/2005

Did they or didn't they? Seth can't stop thinking about Summer's and Zach's stay in San Diego. Will he or won't he? Julie plants doubts that could derail Caleb's decision to adopt Lindsay.

Directors: Michael Lange
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Brothers Grim
star
7.40
285 votes

#23 - The Brothers Grim

Season 2 - Episode 17 - Aired 3/24/2005

T is for trouble. And for Trey, Ryan's brother, who's out of prison and trying to go straight while staying temporarily in the pool house. The tape no one was supposed to see is seen by all of Newport.

Directors: Michael Lange
Writer: J.J. Philbin
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Return of the Nana
star
7.35
257 votes

#24 - The Return of the Nana

Season 2 - Episode 21 - Aired 5/5/2005

Nana's getting married - news that has Sandy, Seth and Ryan off to Miami. Back at the OC, Zach wows Summer with a home-cooked meal, Kirsten sorts out her Carter feelings and Trey's feelings for Marissa take a terrifying turn.

Directors: Ian Toynton
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV